There are multiple appointment scheduling protocols, both non-electronic and electronic, in use today. In all of these systems, the customer contacts the respective organization, requests an appointment, describes the reasons for the request and is offered options based upon the request. The protocol is complex, time-consuming and generally requires human intervention. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated scheduling system that minimizes human intervention.
The present scheduling system is particularly well-suited for the heathcare information management area, in particular, in the dental care industry. Dentistry has long been known for establishing effective systems for notifying customers that it is “time for the cleaning and examination appointment”. Conventional systems rely on sending postcards, often with handwritten addresses, which requires manual sorting and retrieval. More sophisticated systems automate postcard creation. The problem with these existing systems is that the mailing of postcards remains costly, and even if postcards are created automatically, the reminder system is not effectively integrated into the scheduling system. It is another object of the present invention to integrate a customer reminder system with a scheduling system.
Another object of the present invention is to allow a customer who meets certain criteria the opportunity to reschedule an appointment should an appropriate preferential appointment time become available. A further object of the present invention is to provide a scheduling system which is easily used by the customer and easily controlled by the sponsor.